Headless youth's body found

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 February 1999, 14:59 GMT]
The body of the youth from Karaveddi who was decapitated earlier this week was recovered from a cess pit behind the office of the PLOTE at Nelliyadi this morning around 7.30 p.m. upon information provided by civilians in the area.

Angry crowds in the area set fire to the fence of the PLOTE office and assaulted a cadre of the paramilitary group following the discovery.

The Pt.Pedro additional magistrate A.K Nadarajah issued orders to the Police to arrest the PLOTE's area leader, 'Kopu', following the detection of the headless body. The head had been recovered earlier, having been left on a public road.

A civilian who had gone to the area behind the PLOTE office last night had detected a foul stink emanating from a building nearby. The people in the area had immediately reported the matter to the Nelliyadi Police.

This morning around 7.30 a.m. the Police had entered and searched the premises of the PLOTE office at Puthuthottam in Nelliyadi. Sources said that the Police found the floor of the building behind the PLOTE office bloodied.

Mats and cloths soaked in blood were also lying about in the building said Police sources.

The headless body of the youth, in a state of decay, was later found in the cess pit of the buildings toilets they added.

PLOTE cadres disappeared from their office before crowds from the area which were angered by the discovery of the decapiated body attacked the premises.

The headless body was identified by Rajeswaran Selvalatchmi as that of her husband who went missing last week.

Rajeswaran's father, Kandappu Rajaratnam also identified the body as that of his son from the clothes on it.

District Medical Officer Dr.S Kathirvetpillai examined the body at the Manthikai hospital before it was handed over to Rajeswaran Selvalatchmi this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Police sources in Jaffna said that the PLOTE political wing leader in Jaffna, S.Kirupairajah is trying to negotiate with the SLA brass in Jaffna with a view to reaching a compromise on mitigating the ramifications of Rajeswaran's murder and decapitation.

They said that the SLA officials are yet to react to his efforts in this regard.

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